If you feel your hair ends or your hair in general is weak and in need of some TLC get the following ingredients together and do a hot oil treatment (video tutorial below):
Ingredients
Ideally, don't store, use it all in one go. If you made too much you need to store it in a dark glass bottle. The blend will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dark place. Cedarwood essential oil is one of the key ingredients in Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator. It is also a personal favourite of mine because it has been successfully used in scientific experiments to show that it does have an actual benefit to hair health and growth. In particular, cedarwood essential oil can:
I use it regularly by adding a few drops to my shampoo, conditioner and homemade shea butter blends. Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. You might also like: Which Cedarwood Essential Oil Is Best - Atlas, Chinese, Himalayan, Texas Or Virginian? Ref: Cedarwood Essential Oil (Herbal Essences), Cedarwood Essential Oil (Esoteric Oils), Hair Research When we talk of oils we are almost always talking about carrier or base oils. This is the difference between carrier/base oils and essential oils. Source Carrier oils are normally vegetable oils derived from the fatty parts of a plant, such as the seed, kernels or nuts; essential oils usually come from non-fatty areas such as bark, roots, stems, leaves and the aromatic portions of the plant Potency Carrier oils are not very potent or concentrated, this is to say they will not normally burn or irritate your skin if applied directly. Essential oils, on the other hand, are very potent and should never be applied to skin directly as they can burn right through it or cause very severe skin irritation! They have to be diluted in a carrier oil. Lavender is one of the milder essential oils for skin but even then, direct application is NOT recommended. Quantity needed Carrier oils are used for a wide variety of functions for skin and hair so even for regular usage a large volume is needed. As essential oils are highly potent you only ever need a few drops at a time. This is why they are sold in such minute volumes. Packaging Carrier oils for consumer use are normally sold in clear, plastic bottles of 60 ml (2 0z ) at a minimum and frequently much larger volumes. Essential oils for consumer use are normally sold in 10 ml (0.35 oz) dark glass bottles. Properties Carrier oils don't easily degrade and evaporate. Essential oils degrade and evaporate rapidly when exposed to light; they also eat into plastic - this is why they are sold in glass bottles. That said, all oils should be kept in a cool dark place to make them last longer. Essential oils are thin oils with strong aromas whilst carrier oils are thicker (more oily) and have a much milder aroma when they have one at all. Top Carrier Oils For Hair vs. Top Essential Oils for Hair The top 4 essential oils oils are found in Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator. Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. Ref: Carriel Oils (Wikipedia) What Are Carrier Oils (Aromaweb) Essential Oils (Wikipedia) There are two types of almond oil: sweet almond and bitter almond. Function Sweet almond oil is a base or carrier oil Bitter almond oil is an essential oil Origins Sweet almond oil comes from the sweet almond tree, prunus dulcis, var. amygdalus, this is the tree that produces the commercial variety of almonds that we eat. Its flowers are usually white. Bitter almond comes from the almond tree, prunus dulcis, var. amara. Its flowers are normally pink. Shape Bitter almonds are slightly broader and shorter than sweet almonds, and they contain only about 50% of the carrier/fixed oil that is found in sweet almonds. Usage Sweet almond oil is one of the top oils for hair (and skin); it is rich in protein, vitamins and mineral oils and therefore is considered nourishing and revitalising. Unlike the essential oils lavender, rosemary, thyme and cedarwood which are known to stimulate hair growth and are all found in Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator, bitter almond does not have any aromatherapy benefits at all. It simply exists as a fragrance essential oil. How to Tell if You Are Buying Sweet Almond Oil or Bitter Almond Oil? If the bottle just says "Almond Oil" you can sometimes tell which of the two it is using the following indicators: As an indication only, carrier oils are not potent and are used for a wide variety of functions so they normally come in plastic, larger bottles of 60 ml (2 0z ) at the very smallest. Essential oils are highly potent so you only ever need a few drops at a time. They degrade and evaporate rapidly when exposed to light plus they eat into plastic so they're normally sold in 10 ml (0.35 oz) dark glass bottles. With the above said, however, I would not buy a bottle that just says "Almond oil" because it may suggest a poor quality producer who doesn't even know the difference between the two. For your hair you want "Sweet Almond Oil" so to avoid confusion don't bother buying a bottle that doesn't say "sweet" on it! You might also like: Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. Reference:
This post is dedicated to Dorothy Martin, a big supporter of Neno Natural. Thanks for the support! There are three main ways to use Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator (HGS): 1. Massage it into your scalp as often as you remember, the more often the better This is the original way in which I used the Hair Growth Stimulator. My hair had completely fallen out due to relaxers and braiding etc. I decided to go natural and at the same time I committed to coming up with a personal blend of oils and essential oils that would help my hair grow. Neno Natural's HGS was the result. The best way to use the oil for massage is to spray a little oil onto your finger tips, then massage the scalp gently for 5 to 7 minutes. After you're done massaging wear a shower cap over your head to generate some heat. Heat helps with the absorption of essential oils. Don't use Neno Natural's HGS on kids under 5 years of age, they don't need it. For kids aged 5 to 13 years old mix 2 parts growth stimulator to one part any other vegetable carrier oil to make it more dilute. Don't worry if you forget to do this you won't cause any harm, I just prefer to be extra cautious with children. 2. Use it to seal in moisture After you've moisturised your hair with water and a leave-in conditioner you can apply Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator as the oil for sealing in that moisture. If you use the LOC method the Hair Growth Stimulator comes after the liquid; if you use the LCO method the Hair Growth Stimulator is applied following the liquid and a cream, e.g. a shea butter. 3. Use it as a conditioner! I didn't even know this was possible. However, I went away on holiday and took a Shea Moisture conditioner before I'd ever tried it. My hair hated it. As I was away for two weeks with no access to natural hair products I went online to find an alternative. I found a conditioning formula that included most of the ingredients in Neno Natural's HGS so I just used that. To use the oil as a conditioner wash hair thoroughly, then rub two or three tablespoons equivalent into your hair (depending on hair length and thickness). Cover hair in a shower cap, blow dry the surface of the cap for a minute then trap the heat using a thick beanie hat or a towel. Rinse and style after 15 minutes. You can do this if you want a mid-week co-wash. It's quick, simple and convenient but it cannot replace your weekly deep condition. Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator can be used on both natural and relaxed hair. It is an all--natural product; the gorgeous smell comes from the essential oils and not from anything synthetic. You can it buy here. Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.
If you've gotten (or want to get) into blending your own hair products you've probably wondered how to use essential oils safely: how many drops are too little, how many are too much?
This is important because essential oils are extremely potent and if incorrectly used can cause fires (!), skin burns and other adverse side effects. The number of drops of an essential oil used depends on what you want that blend for.
1% dilution
Ideal if the blend will be used by a child, an elderly person, someone who is chronically ill and pregnant women 2% dilution Ideal for the average adult. Do not use more than this to avoid adverse effect, e.g. lavender is a sedative in small doses and will help you sleep but a stimulant in high doses! Go figure. 3% dilution Okay if you are making cleaning agents or if recommended by a professional. What do these dilutions translate to in number of drops? For every 30 ml (1 oz) of oil, you need:
Why aren't the number of drops of exact? Different essential oils have different thickness / density / viscosity. If the essential comes out the bottle in big/thick drops you need fewer drops than if it comes out in small/thin drops. Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair. References Application and Dilution Essential Oil Dilutions Chart Diluting Essential Oils
Thyme essential oil (Thymus vulgaris) also known as Common Thyme has numerous documented antiseptic and healing properties.
Thyme stimulates blood circulation. Therefore rubbing an oil that contains thyme onto your scalp promotes the delivery of nutrients to the scalp and encourages hair growth.[i] Thyme is known to help with dandruff problems and to clear dirt from the scalp.[ii] Thyme has also been used to treat thinning hair and hair loss problems. However, note that not there are many different types of thyme. Thymus Vulgaris itself comes in two commercial varieties: red thyme and white thyme. White thyme is derived by re-distilling red thyme. Red thyme has more phenols and is, as a result, more expensive. Overuse of red thyme can easily lead to skin irritation. For this reason, we prefer to use white thyme in the production of Neno Natural’s Hair Growth Stimulator. If you’re wondering what phenols are, they’re a group of chemical compounds found in plants. Whilst some phenols are toxic and corrosive, others are believed to be involved in cancer prevention, to have antioxidant properties and to slow down the aging process.[iii] What is thyme when it’s at home? Thyme is an evergreen shrub that grows to a maximum height of 15 to 20 cm. It is native to Southern Europe. [i] What Essentials Oils Are Good for Hair Growth (Livestrong) [ii] Natural Hair Care (surviving-hairloss.com) [iii] What are the Benefits of Phenols (Livestrong)
Rosemary is one of my favourite essential oils for massage. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's beneficial for hair growth too - why?:
1. It contains vitamin A which is much needed for hair growth. 2. It stimulates hair follicles and growth by increasing blood circulation to the scalp (like lavender) thus improving delivery of oxygen and nutrients. 3. It soothes dry flaky scalps and can help with dandruff issues (anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory). 4. It's good as part of a hair conditioner, apparently its helps with softening hair. 5. It prevents premature greying of your hair(!) and can help to darken hair that is already greying or lightening in colour. 6. It helps to reduce hair loss and thinning. Rosemary is one of the oils that was used in an experiment in 1998 by scientists in Scotland to see if essential oils can help to reduce alopecia. They did. 7. It smells fabulous. How to use rosemary oil for hair? Add 3 to 4 drops of rosemary oil into 30ml of a base oil and massage it into the scalp; I personally use it as one of the four essential oils in Neno Natural's Hair Growth Stimulator. You can also extract the amount of shampoo or conditioner that you want to use from a bottle and add 3 to 4 drops of rosemary to that. I wouldn't add it directly to the shampoo bottle so that you don't permanently change the entire bottle's ingredients. Important note: do not use rosemary oil if you are pregnant, epileptic or suffer from high blood pressure. Except under these circumstance, rosemary oil is not toxic. References: the-herb-guide.com, buzzle.com, livestrong.com, hairthickeningproductsblog.com. Follow me @NenoNatural and check out Neno Natural's Haircare Store.
I am into aromatherapy so this has always been part of my medicine drawer because it's great for inducing sleep and relaxation. Why is lavender so good for hair?
1. Regenerative. When you have irritated your scalp with combs, scratching, too many products etc, lavender oil helps to restore the scalp to its original state. 2. Soothing and calming effect on scalp. Inflammation caused by bad weather and bad products is repaired. 3. Great as an anti-itch agent due to its soothing effect. 4. Stimulating effect. Lavender oil penetrates cells in the scalp after it’s been massaged in and there it nourishes and improves blood circulation. Improved blood circulation brings more nutrients and oxygen to hair follicles. Roots and the hair shaft get nourishment faster and hence quicker growth is stimulated. 5. Cleans the scalp. Lavender oil dissolves dead skin and dandruff which can then be easily taken off when you wash the hair with some removed by the very act of massaging. As a powerful disinfectant it will also help to rid your scalp of lice, lice eggs, nits, fungi, viruses and other microbes. 6. Great natural fragrance. I don't like hair products with "fragrances" other than essential oils. I avoid packages that say "fragrances" because I don't want to add any unknown, unnatural products to my hair. Synthetic materials can damage and break hair. 7. It's great for relaxing. To cure insomnia or to improve the quality of sleep that you get, mix lavender oil up with a base e.g. sweet almond oil and get your guy or gal to give you a massage :). Good sleep makes for good hair growth.
Where can you get lavender oil? Health shops and pharmacies.
How do I use lavender oil? For my hair, I had c.4 drops of lavender to a base oil - currently jojoba, but I intend to try out other oils as well - then I massage the lavender into my scalp using the flats of my finger. Occasionally, to facilitate absorption, I cover my head in a shower cap. The extra heat helps your skin to absorb the oil. In addition, when I make my own hair conditioners, I add about 4 drops. How often do I use it? Almost daily.
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By Heather Katsonga-Woodward
I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx Categories
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